


Of Necessary Routines and Unwelcome Notice

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 02:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3470843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a trying morning, Evelyn encounters Bianca Davri and a nosy spymaster.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Necessary Routines and Unwelcome Notice

Evelyn woke up disoriented. Something heavy was laying across her chest, and the room she was in was unfamiliar. She squinted at the ceiling. _Is that a hole in the roof?_ As Evelyn roused, she gauged her surroundings. She was in Cullen’s room in Cullen’s bed with Cullen’s bare arm draped over her. More so, she was wearing Cullen’s shirt rather than her own clothes. _Andraste’s ashes... I remember playing wicked grace and coming here... What happened then?_ Much to her chagrin, she couldn’t remember any more details. 

“Commander, I have some reports from Sister Leliana. Shall I leave them on your desk or bring them to your quarters?” the voice trailed up the ladder from Cullen’s office below. _Shit, that’s what woke me up._ Evelyn was in a panic, and Cullen was sound asleep, snoring slightly. Evelyn poked him hard - causing him to nearly fall out of bed when he startled awake. She gestured silently and urgently to the office below while Cullen steadied himself on the side of the bed.

“Commander, are you there?” the voice asked again.

Clearing his throat and speaking authoritatively, Cullen replied. “Yes, just leave whatever you have on my desk. I’ll be down momentarily.”

“Yes, sir.” came the dutiful reply and shortly after the scraping sound of the door closing followed.

Evelyn had been sitting still like a deer caught in a hunter’s sights. When the door banged shut, she let out a breath. “Thank the Maker I got you awake before he came up to check on you.”

“Would you have really been so embarrassed to have been caught in my bed?” Cullen asked with a wicked smile.

“Well, no.. yes... you know exactly what I meant.” Evelyn mumbled noticing that she really needed to pee - especially after all the alcohol she had consumed the night before. “I ...um... need to uhh... relieve myself.” she said while a blush creeped over her face.

“There’s a chamber pot over there.” Cullen gestured to a corner of the room.

“I see that, but I can’t _go_ with you in the room.”

“Oh, right. I’ll just head down to the office.” Cullen slid down the ladder. His feet made a slight thud when he landed, and Evelyn could hear him walk over to his desk and begin to look through the report the courier had left.

“Umm... do you think you could maybe go outside? I can’t pee if you are listening.”

“I’m barely dressed, and its freezing. Just pretend I’m not here. I promise not to listen.”

“That’s not going to work. I can hear you moving down there. Sing something...”

“What?” came Cullen’s confused reply.

“I said, ‘Sing something.' the louder the better or go out in the cold. Your choice.” 

He decided to indulge her rather than shiver outside and started singing a bawdy tavern song loudly.

He hadn’t made it through the first verse, when Evelyn’s head popped over the edge of the ladder. “All done. Thank you. I’ve always had a shy bladder. It was a bit of a bother living communally in the Circle as I’m sure you can imagine.”

Cullen laughed and wondered what other oddities he would discover about her in the days to come. It was never dull with her around.

“I’ll come back up to get dressed if you don’t mind.” 

“No, that’s fine. I’m just trying to find my hair comb.”

Cullen made it to the top of the ladder and saw Evelyn on her hands and knees looking under the bed. The shirt she had borrowed from him was gauzy, and the lighting in the room provided him with a full view of her silhouette. He stared for a bit watching her reach underneath the bed, and then averted his eyes. It was well past daybreak. Soldiers and couriers would be in and out of his office. It would do him no good to get worked up. 

“Ah ha!” she exclaimed triumphantly then slid her hand further beneath the bed revealing the entirety of her shapely ass in the process. Cullen tried not to stare but was completely unsuccessful. Pulling back and then standing, Evelyn held the comb aloft and smiled broadly. Her long brown hair fell in messy waves around her face and his shirt hung askance on her much smaller frame. 

“Maker’s breath, you’re gorgeous.” he said appreciatively while reminding himself that now was not a good time to be indulging in the lascivious thoughts that were swirling in his mind.

“You’re pretty handsome yourself.” she replied with a wink. “Hey, do you mind if I use your wash basin? 

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her wash her face and wet down her hair to tame the waves. Pulling on his own clothes and fastening his armor, he saw her braiding her hair with practiced precision while holding her hair comb between her lips. When the braids were complete, she slipped the comb in place and checked her reflection in the mirror. It was oddly intimate seeing her this way, and he felt the need to say, “I love you.” for no reason other than the fact it was true.

That made her smile brightly. Still wearing his shirt, she walked over and kissed him on the cheek whispering, “I love you, too.” She then started making his bed, pulling the sheets tightly, and smoothing the bedcover. Sitting down, she pulled on her pants and stockings then set to work on lacing her boots. He forced himself to look away when she took off his shirt to put on her own.

Cullen was fully dressed when she looked at him nervously, bit her lip, and then asked, “So did we...I mean I woke up wearing your shirt, but I don’t remember... umm..”

“No, we didn’t. You didn’t want to wrinkle your clothes by sleeping in them, so I loaned you my shirt.” He felt like he needed to explain more. “It isn’t that I didn’t want to be with you. I mean ... I did... I do... but... Maker’s breath, I’m really no good at this. I just thought it best that we both be more lucid.” 

Evelyn noticed his face growing progressively redder with each word. “Thank you, Cullen. I would have been disappointed if I couldn’t remember our first time together.”

The sound of the office door opening below let them know another day of duty awaited. Cullen climbed down and met the soldiers gathered in his office. While he listened to reports and issued orders for the day, Evelyn silently crept down the ladder and crossed the bridge to the main keep. If any of his men noticed the Inquisitor, they had the good sense not to acknowledge her. Cullen appreciated their discretion.

Evelyn was dreading the gauntlet of gossips she would face as she made her way to the rotunda and great hall. She lucked out. Solas was napping in his chair although she doubted he would have made any comment. Dorian, who would have been most likely to tease her about her walk of shame, was nowhere to be seen. _If I can make it past Varric, then I’m golden._ Varric was standing strangely close to a dwarven woman that Evelyn had never seen before. His face was carved with concern, and he didn’t seem to notice Evelyn as she scooted past them. _That is something I’ll need to check on later._ she thought.

After freshening up and changing clothes in her quarters, Evelyn returned to the great hall. She was dying to know about the mystery dwarf that had attracted Varric's attention. The woman was very pretty with a round face but delicate features - especially for a dwarf. Varric and she were still whispering to each other when Evelyn walked up. Evelyn couldn’t quite hear what they were saying to each other, but the lady dwarf ‘s tone was familiar, teasing... maybe even a bit sultry.

The pretty dwarf noted Evelyn’s presence and spoke directly, “Well this is a surprise. You’re the Inquisitor- right? Bianca Davri at your service.” Evelyn tried to mask her surprise at the name “Bianca”. It was what Varric called the crossbow that he jokingly claimed held his heart. Evelyn wondered if this Bianca in front of her was the inspiration for the crossbow’s moniker and maybe the true holder of Varric’s affections.

Speaking with Bianca was interesting and frustrating. The dwarf was every bit as slippery as Varric when replying to questions but was arrogant and cool where Varric was more self-deprecating and warm. Evelyn couldn’t decide if she liked Bianca. It was obvious that Varric cared deeply for her. When he talked about the risk she had taken coming to Skyhold in person, Varric wore the same worried look Cullen did when he entreated Evelyn to be more careful.

Bianca claimed to have found a lead on Corypheus’ source of red lyrium. Something about Bianca’s story didn’t feel right to Evelyn, but Evelyn knew that she had to follow up on the information regardless. This Bianca was important to Varric, and he seemed to trust her ... to a point. Bianca flirtatiously entreated Varric to help her ferret out the source quickly and walked off. “Right, that’s not going to be trouble at all.” he said with a voice that betrayed he felt it would be anything but.

Evelyn wanted to push Varric for more information on Bianca, but with as many stories as Varric told he held even more secret. Evelyn surmised Bianca’s tale fell into the latter category, so she merely promised to act on the information as soon as possible. She then crossed the hall to enter Josephine’s office. Their morning council meeting would convene soon.

Leliana and Josephine were engaged in a conversation that abruptly ended when Evelyn entered the room. Josephine looked slightly abashed while Leliana looked like a hunter tracking game. The spymaster silently edged closer to Evelyn then eyed her closely - clearly gauging her prey.

“So I hear that I should be sorry that I declined Varric’s invitation to play cards last night. Josephine related that the night was most memorable.” Leliana cooed in her dangerously sweet Orleasian accent.

Evelyn knew Leliana was setting a trap, but she hoped to avoid the bait. “It was a very fun night. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.”

“A fun night for everyone except for perhaps our Commander?” Leliana said with a slightly raised eyebrow. “I hear he lost rather... spectacularly at cards. Pity I missed the view he provided. Josephine remarked on what good shape he was in for someone that spends so much time at a desk.”

Evelyn imagined hearing Leliana’s trap getting ready to snap at any moment and stayed quiet just smiling at the memory of Cullen’s form.

“But maybe the Commander’s night wasn’t so bad in the end - hmmm? I received a worried report from one of your servants this morning. You weren’t in your quarters, and your bed hadn’t been disturbed. Anything you care to share, Inquisitor?" 

Evelyn swore she could hear a trap snapping at that point, but it was actually the door to Josephine’s office being pushed open. Cullen walked in and Leliana’s eyes focused on her new quarry as she whispered to Evelyn. “Details, Inquisitor. I will have them.” Josephine covered her mouth and began giggling maniacally.

“Gloating over last night’s win, Ambassador?” Cullen asked trying to put a finger on the odd dynamic between the women in the room.

Josephine struggled to compose herself while Evelyn studied the rug on the floor which had suddenly become fascinating. Leliana replied casually, “Commander, you seem in a particularly good mood this morning -especially for someone that literally lost his shirt last night.”

“That so? Hmm. I suppose I am.” Cullen answered either missing or ignoring Leliana’s subtext. “To work, ladies?” he said gesturing to the war room. Evelyn mouthed a thank you to him as she walked by, and he winked in reply.


End file.
